Firm Profile > Burton Copeland LLP > Manchester, England
Burton Copeland LLP Offices
MADISON PLACE
NORTHAMPTON ROAD
CENTRAL PARK, MANCHESTER
M40 5AG
England
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Burton Copeland LLP > The Legal 500 Rankings
Crime: general Tier 1
The 'formidable' team at Burton Copeland LLP handles a wide variety of criminal litigation, and particularly stands out for its work dealing with organised crime and road traffic offences. The 'simply outstanding' Louise Straw is a 'go-to solicitor' for high-profile sexual abuse and historical sexual assault cases; she leads the practice with Gwyn Lewis, who focuses on road traffic offenses, and Daniel Weed, who specialises in representing police officers. 'Master of his craft' Michael Mackey is highly recommended for cases involving complex medical and forensic issues.
Practice head(s):
Louise Straw; Gwyn Lewis; Daniel Weed
Other key lawyers:
Michael Mackey
Testimonials
‘The vast majority of the team have been in the department for a number of years and so, although a large department, there is, and always has been, a real sense of esprit de corps. This coupled with a real work ethic makes for a very formidable team.’
‘The team at Burton Copeland are like a family. They deal with people from all backgrounds with the same level of courtesy and generosity with their time. Nothing is too much trouble for them, they work tirelessly to prepare cases and ensure clients get the best representation possible.’
‘Louise Straw is the ‘go-to solicitor’ when it comes to sexual offences. She has a keen eye for detail and leaves no stone unturned on the preparation of her cases. Often facing allegations that span many decades, she is unflappable and also reassures her clients that everything with be looked at in fine detail.’
‘Well respected, knowledgeable and vastly experienced. Extremely dedicated and focused on achieving the very best outcome for the client. Excellent client care skills mean that the client is genuinely cared for and kept up to date with developments and appropriately advised.’
‘Mike Mackey- master of his craft. Works tirelessly for the benefit of the client. Passionate to achieve justice but never lets this stand in the way of objective, cool analysis of the case. Always seems to sniff out the key weakness in the case.’
‘Louise Straw is simply outstanding. Thoroughly dedicated to her clients. Works however many hours it takes. Copes with pressure admirably. Gets results.’
‘The team at Burton Copeland always go above and beyond to ensure excellent service is provided to clients.’
‘Dan Weed is thoughtful and analytical. He has a shrewd approach to tactics. His ability to develop a strong rapport with his clients is evidence from the outset.’
Key clients
Legal Insurance Management Ltd
Arc Insurance
All Med Professionals (DAS)
Fostering Association
ARAG Insurance
Police Federation
Crime: fraud Tier 2
At Burton Copeland LLP, Nick Terry has expertise in tax fraud mandates and consultant Mike MacKey handles general fraud work including white-collar crime matters. The team also assists with boiler room fraud, money laundering work and investigations.
Other key lawyers:
Nick Terry; Mike MacKey
Burton Copeland LLP > Firm Profile
The firm: Operating from the office in Manchester, an extensive team of committed lawyers offers unparalleled breadth and depth of expertise operating a 24-hour, 365 days a year response. 2020 saw the firm win ‘Small Firm of the Year’ at the Manchester Law Society Legal Awards and are past winners of ‘Crime Team of the Year’ and ‘Regulatory Team of the Year’. The firm was also awarded, for the third time, ‘Best Law Firm 2021’ in The Times (in association with Statista).
Two members of the current team are Past Presidents of Manchester Law Society and both Louise Straw and Gwyn Lewis are council members and chair the Legal Education Committee and the Crown and Magistrates Committee respectively for the Society. The firm is one of the largest legal aid crime providers, holds a very high cost cases accreditation and has a large private client department.
Types of work undertaken
General and serious crime: The firm offers advice on all aspects of criminal and related investigations and proceedings, representing clients in every level of tribunal, acting in many of the major trials involving the most serious of offences. The firm stands out for its expertise and has developed a pre-eminent specialism in the defence of historic sexual offences.
Business crime and fraud: The firm undertakes cases involving corporate fraud, VAT irregularities, HMRC investigations, money laundering, confiscation and asset recovery, BIS (DTI) investigations, copyright/trademark investigations, money laundering, bribery and corruption and mortgage fraud. The firm provides representation for allegations of breaches of trading standards regulations and was successful in this area in defending a kitchen entrepreneur in the largest ever prosecution of its kind in the UK.
Regulatory law: The firm is involved in the defence of all investigations, including inquests, and prosecutions for breaches of health and safety regulations and breaches brought by other regulators such as the Environment Agency, the Financial Conduct Authority, the Security Industry authority and Gangmasters Licensing Authority. The firm has been involved in the longest running inquest in UK history which attracted worldwide publicity and has significant expertise in the area of public inquiries.
Medical and nursing care: The growth in recent years of criminal allegations against medical and nursing staff, especially in relation to the regulation of care homes by the Care Quality Commission, has resulted in the firm regularly being instructed by both representative bodies and individuals to advise and support through criminal investigations and proceedings.
Professional discipline: A specialist team provides a national service in representing members of professional and public service bodies including the representation of doctors, pharmacists, teachers, dentists and nurses in relation to regulatory and misconduct issues and criminal investigations and proceedings, backed up by the considerable focus and expertise of the main practice.
Road traffic: Clients who are alleged to have committed offences in this topical area of law are represented by a dedicated unit, drivingoffence.com, providing a specialist and effective service with an enviable reputation in the successful defence of the full spectrum of motoring offences including speeding, dangerous driving, driving under the influence, mobile phone use, VOSA investigations and a niche specialisation in taxi regulation.
Clients: Clients range from government departments, public service bodies, small to medium business enterprises, national corporations, healthcare professionals, leading individuals from the worlds of business, sport and entertainment to the private individual confronted by the police, Crown Prosecution Service and other prosecuting authorities.
Main Contacts
| Department | Name | Telephone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Managing Partner and Head of Crown Court Department | Louise Straw | louisestraw@burtoncopeland.com | 0161 827 9500 |
| Compliance Partner and Head of Magistrates Department | Daniel Weed | danielweed@burtoncopeland.com | 0161 827 9500 |
| Senior Partner and Head of Road Traffic Department | Gwyn Lewis | gwynlewis@burtoncopeland.com | 0161 827 9500 |
| Professional discipline | Charlotte Ellis | charlotteellis@burtoncopeland.com | 0161 827 9500 |
| Professional discipline | Daniel Weed | danielweed@burtoncopeland.com | 0161 827 9500 |
| Inquests and Public Enquiries | Jonathan Wall | jonathanwall@burtoncopeland.com | 0161 827 9500 |
Lawyer Profiles
| Photo | Name | Position | Profile |
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Tim Andrew | Consultant, 20 years qualified, is exceptionally experienced in a wide range of… | View Profile |
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Karl Benson | Solicitor – Karl is a duty solictor with the firm with a… | View Profile |
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Aidan Carr | Consultant – Aidan has particular expertise in the area of healthcare regulation,… | View Profile |
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Samantha Corcoran | Solicitor – Samantha is based in the Magistrates Court Department where she… | View Profile |
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Suzanne Dooley | A Partner in the firm, Suzanne has over 15 years experience providing… | View Profile |
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Charlotte Ellis | Charlotte is a specialist regulatory lawyer representing regulated professional clients, acting for… | View Profile |
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Gwyn Lewis | The lead principal and head of Burton Copeland LLP’s specialist road traffic… | View Profile |
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Michael Mackey | In a career spanning 40 years, Mike has specialied in criminal law.… | View Profile |
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Mr Robert Moussalli | Solicitor and Head of Youth Crime Department | View Profile |
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Elizabeth Ann Ridgway | A Partner in the firm, Elizabeth specialises in providing advice and representation… | View Profile |
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Louise Straw | Louise is the current Managing Partner of the firm and also heads… | View Profile |
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Nick Terry | Nick is a partner in the firm and his experience covers a… | View Profile |
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Peter Damian Wall | Damian is a partner in the firm and works in the crown… | View Profile |
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Daniel Richard Weed | Equity Partner and Compliance Officer for Legal Practice of the firm, Daniel… | View Profile |